


14 years and a wolf pup

by RussianSunflower3



Series: Sunflower's Yamaguchi week 2015 [7]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: But there will be much angst, Chapters get progressively longer, Crossover//AU, Day 6, Instances of canon, It starts off so fluffy, M/M, Wolf Children AU, Yamaguchi Week 2K15
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-13
Updated: 2015-11-13
Packaged: 2018-05-01 10:11:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5201945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RussianSunflower3/pseuds/RussianSunflower3
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sugawara had known that he would have children one day.<br/>He never would have imagined as precious a child as Yamaguchi.</p>
<p>But Yamaguchi was different to ordinary children. He was born with wolf ears and a tail.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Sugawara was only 17 years old when his awakened sexuality led to him sleeping with someone at a Halloween party. He hadn’t expected them to be completely serious when they stated they were a wolf. He hadn’t expected – _a physical impossibility_ – to get **pregnant** from the encounter.

He was 17 when he hid himself away from the world, in a tiny apartment with bare walls and practically no belongings.   
He was 17 when he went into labour all alone in that tiny apartment, not daring to go to a hospital due to his situation of being male and pregnant.   
At 17 years old, Sugawara lay in a pile of blankets on his bedroom floor, softly stroking the naked back of the newborn he had delivered himself. He pretended he couldn’t see the tiny stub of a brown tail, and the tips of wolf ears poking out from a full-head of hair. He breathed out softly, his warm breath caressing the baby as it whimpered and wriggled against him. Sugawara leaned his head forwards and pressed a soft kiss to the baby, to his sons head. 

“Yamaguchi...” The baby emitted a low keen, like a happy whine from a pup. His son pressed against the kiss like he had understood, like he knew that Suga had named him in that moment. And despite the strange circumstances that led to Yamaguchi’s birth, despite the tiny tail and the wolf ears under his oddly coloured hair, Sugawara smiled. He couldn’t be happier with this precious bundle pressed up against him. 


	2. Everything will be okay.

It soon became clear that whilst Yamaguchi aged as a human did, he developed like a wolf. By a few months old, and sporting a full wolf cub form, he could easily outrun Sugawara, playing fetch in their small apartment. As soon as the worn out child resorted back to his human form, ears and tail absent, he was utterly helpless. Sugawara scooped Yamaguchi up from the floor, cradling him close and gently humming soothing nursery rhymes to ease his son to sleep. Yamaguchi yawned, his incisor teeth a little larger than in standard humans. Suga’s lips quirked upwards before remembering the sorry state of their fridge. When Yamaguchi awoke, he would be hungry. It was too late to do an online shop now, but Sugawara hadn’t strayed outside for the entirety of Yamaguchi’s life. 

With a shaky sigh, he pulled one of his old hoodies out of the tumble dryer, fresh and soft to touch. He carefully pulled it on around his sleeping child, brushing Yamaguchi’s fringe aside underneath the hood. He pressed a delicate kiss to the baby’s forehead, and reached for the front door. It was nerve-wracking, and he suddenly realised this was singlehandedly the most difficult thing he had done, other than birthing his own son at home. But there was no way he could leave Yamaguchi’s side, not even when his neighbour, Asahi, had offered to babysit. Yamaguchi had no way of telling when it was okay to shift or not. 

And what if he felt threatened? What if he bit someone? _What if he was taken away?_ The last thought terrified Suga. If his son was taken away, locked up like some freak of nature, and experimented on. If he was put in a circus, or on display in a zoo. Yamaguchi didn’t deserve that. He didn’t choose to be born part wolf. Sugawara vowed that he would protect his child with his life. 

Biting into his bottom lip nervously, Sugawara made sure to choose only baby foods that didn’t contain anything dogs could be poisoned by. He didn’t know if dogs and wolves were affecting by the same things, or if Yamaguchi would even react to those things, being mostly human. But Suga wasn’t going to risk it. Yamaguchi slept soundly against his chest, everything but the tip of his nose hidden by the hoodie. As Sugawara was carrying him home, things started to descend into trouble. Yamaguchi whimpered, and inhuman whine pulled from his throat as he stirred. The hood slipped slightly, and a drooping wolf ear poked out from underneath. With a gasp, Suga pulled it back in place. Suddenly, everywhere around him, people were staring at him. Were staring at _Yamaguchi_.

“Oh no...” He ducked his head low, Yamaguchi tucked under his chin as he tried to shush the whimpering pup, rushing through the crowds until he reached the safety of home. He dropped the shopping bag at his side, slid down the closed door, and pressed his face into the fresh-scented fabric of the hoodie he’d put on Yamaguchi. He pushed the hood down, understanding that it was distressing his child, and brown eyes speckled with forest green blinked up at him, freckles marking the spots where whiskers would appear when he shifted into full-wolf. Suga forced on a gentle smile, seeing the unshed tears gathered in Yamaguchi’s eyes.

“Shh, my little pup... Everything will be okay...” A soft sound came from Yamaguchi as he reached up, his chubby baby hands brushing away the tears that had leaked down Suga’s face, and patting his cheeks with a happy babble, as if he was trying to comfort his parent. Sugawara laughed, and he nuzzled against Yamaguchi’s face, pressing their cheeks together with a loving smile. 

“Everything will be okay~.”


	3. My son is more mature than the neighbours.

“Can we go for a walk?” Sugawara stirred a pot of udon noodles calmly, glancing over his shoulder. Yamaguchi, 4 years old, with scruffy moss shaded hair and an gorgeous array of freckles, stood in the kitchen doorway. His hands were in front of him, clutching onto a ratty green hoodie. It was the same one Sugawara had put him in as a baby. With innocent, hopeful eyes, Yamaguchi repeated his question.

“Can we go for a walk? Please? I’ll be good!” Suga lowered the temperature on the hob, letting the noodles simmer as he turned around and crouched down. He took the hoodie from Yamaguchi, pressing a kiss to his forehead as he smiled shyly, and slipped it on, making sure the hood was down.

“I’ve just cooked, Yamaguchi~. Let’s eat first, and then we’ll go.”

“Yes papa!” He extended his arms for a hug, and Suga couldn’t help but indulge his little angel. He shifted his human pup into one arm, stirring the noodles with the other as his cherished son rested against him. Every now and then, he’d give Yamaguchi a soft nudge, to keep him from falling asleep. It hadn’t taken long for him to realise that Yamaguchi always slept in wolf form since the day he could partially control it, curled up against Sugawara’s side in the single bed they shared. He’d asked why, and Yamaguchi’s response had been that it he could smell better as a wolf, and he slept better when he could smell Papa, because it was home. It did, however, mean that taking naps during the day was forbidden unless the curtains were closed. Sugawara couldn’t close them whilst he was cooking.

“Not long now, baby~.” Albeit awkwardly, he served up the udon noodles in their fine broth, adding an assortment of toppings he had fried earlier. Yamaguchi gave a breathy sigh of awe, as if he hadn’t eaten this dish three times a week. It was all Sugawara could make with the meagre ingredients he could afford. He had money from his parent’s inheritance, but it was dwindling rapidly. He had calculated it to be enough to rent them to Yamaguchi’s seventh birthday. If he hadn’t come up with a valuable source of income by then... He and his son would be confined to the streets.

“Papa...?” A wet nose, with ticklish whickers, bushed over Suga’s cheek and he cracked a weary smile.

“Sorry, Yamaguchi~. Papa was just thinking.” 

“You looked sad.”

“Well... Do you like living like this? In- In a tiny apartment, with no room to run around and no freedom?” It was a carefully pitched question. Sugawara had been looking online recently, and he’d noticed houses that were much cheaper out in the countryside. Large areas of land, with no neighbours for miles. The houses were in a poor state, but Sugawara was handy enough to patch up a broken home.

“I’m happy wherever Papa is happy. Are you happy?” There was honesty in Yamaguchi’s eyes, and something unreadable, wise beyond his age.

“No, Yamaguchi... I don’t think I am... I want to live somewhere... Where you can run through fields, and explore forests. Somewhere you can climb mountainsides and be a child _and_ a pup.” Yamaguchi gave a yip of excitement, his fluffy brown tail and perky wolf ears shooting out as he hugged Suga tightly.

“I like that! It sounds fun! Let’s go there~!” Suga laughed, lowering Yamaguchi to the floor whilst he picked up the two steaming bowls of ramen.

“It’ll take time~. First, we’ll eat, then we’ll go for a walk, and I’ll show you some pretty pictures on my laptop, okay?”

“Okay!” They ate in calm silence, comfortable in the relaxing atmosphere of the room. Yamaguchi’s little wolf ears pricked up, twitching in the direction of the wall that parted them from Asahi’s apartment. He giggled, and then laughed.

“Noya-nii just threw a spider at Asahi-nii!” Suga laughed with him, and realised that yes, what he had thought was the TV from upstairs watching murder mysteries, was actually Asahi shrieking in fright and the loud laugh of his tiny boyfriend. Yamaguchi laughed openly, hearing the entire thing clear as day.   
It made Sugawara happy to see his son like this, and he realised that if they did move, Yamaguchi would deeply miss the neighbours he only met through open doors and clear windows. Still, he’d latched onto them as if they were family, and they’d accepted his branding of brotherhood with utter delight.

“Papa, Asahi-nii is coming over!” Yamaguchi shook his head ferociously as his wolf ears and pup nose vanished, replaced by his human features. He sprouted up from his spot and waited at the doorway excitedly, bobbing on his feet. Sugawara stretched in place, getting up slowly. He was only three steps away from the door when Asahi knocked. He swung open the door with a smile in place, one hand ruffling through Yamaguchi’s soft hair.   
The bearded giant, appearance as intimidating as a growling black bear, sniffled and hugged a pillow close to his chest. He timidly whispered through frightened tears.

“Yuu threw a spider at me...” Suga rolled his eyes before reaching out and patting him on the shoulder.

“You know, just because I have a son, it doesn’t mean I’m willing to take care of all you babies.” Yamaguchi giggled, moving forwards to wrap his arms around Asahi’s legs.

“I’ll take care of you!” Asahi faintly smiled and pat Yamaguchi on the head. His scary appearance completely melted around children, and he’d proved himself more than capable of babysitting. Suga had let it happen _once_ , when Yamaguchi was three. The child had behaved himself very well, but as Asahi had put him down for a nap, he had undoubtedly shifted. Nishinoya and Asahi were reliable neighbours, however, and promised to keep the secret. Whilst Asahi had brushed it off and accepted Yamaguchi as a normal human, Nishinoya had been enthralled, and encouraged Yamaguchi to do whatever felt comfortable.   
As Suga went to lecture Nishinoya and remove the spider from Asahi’s apartment, Yamaguchi dragged his ‘brother’ over to the table, pushing his bowl of half-eaten ramen over.

“Quick Asahi-nii, eat the bean sprouts! Papa will tell me off if they’re not gone, but I don’t like them!” Asahi laughed, but much to Yamaguchi’s credit, used the blunt end of the chopstick to fish out all the bean sprouts and eat them.

“There~. All gone.”

“Thanks Asahi-nii~!” Yamaguchi sat back at his place at the table, polishing off the rest of his meal. He noticed Asahi glancing over towards Suga’s laptop, where there was a picture of a run-down house in the countryside, traditional in structure, but also rather broken. Yamaguchi liked the photo. It had lots of green grass and blue skies, things that he didn’t get to see often. He decided that Asahi-nii needed to be told.

“Papa isn’t happy here. We’re going to move.” Bewildered eyes, wide with shock turned to him.

“Wh-What?”

“We’re gonna move there!” He pointed at the screen, his tail wagging happily. Asahi looked between Yamaguchi and the screen, swallowing down a lump in his throat.

“It- It looks nice... But... who’s going to help me with the spiders...?” Yamaguchi’s tail wagged faster as he laughed, his little wolf ears flopping with the force of his childish glee.

“You have to come with us! Then Papa can do all the spiders, and we can live together, and we’ll be a proper pack!” Asahi’s eyes widened slightly. Nobody had ever told Yamaguchi about a pack, or the fact that wolves lived in packs. He wasn’t aware that Yamaguchi had attached to him as a pack member either, but then, he was a lonely pup, the only wolf Asahi knew of in all of Japan. He only had humans to call his pack, and even then, it was only Suga, himself, and Noya. This poor pup was all alone. Asahi’s eyes returned to the screen and he smiled. Nishinoya would love to go rock-climbing those mountains in the background... And the large garden was surely big enough for a vegetable patch... Plus, the house could definitely use some work. 

Suga might have been a handy man, but he didn’t know anything about plumbing, or electricity. Both of these were things that Nishinoya and himself knew. Not to mention, Asahi’s job was killing him slowly, dragging him into a pit of anxiety every time he had to work on a project. He would love to quit. Nishinoya couldn’t hold down a job for more than a few months either... Who needed a job when you could live off the land?

“I’ll... Talk to your Papa. Maybe we _can_ come with you~.” When Yamaguchi howled with excitement and flung himself into Asahi’s arms to lather his face in wolf kisses, Asahi knew he had made the right decision.


	4. Four paws, two worlds.

Just after Yamaguchi’s fifth birthday, the house was theirs. Officially, it was in Suga’s name, but the list of residence included Yamaguchi, Asahi and Noya. They’d both quit their jobs, pooled together their resources, and given Suga a helping hand. Even with the house purchased, they had enough money in the bank to last until Yamaguchi was 14. Way before that, they could set up reusable energy systems, plant a full fruit and vegetable garden, and learn to provide for themselves. Everything was worth it for the look on Yamaguchi’s face as he ran around, inspecting every corner of the run down place. Nishinoya wasn’t far behind, but he was louder.

“Look at this place! There are bugs in the walls! We have ants for neighbours! All this land is ours?! Hey, Yamaguchi, come race me across the garden! To the forest edge and back, _ready set **go**_!” As the two ran off, Nishinoya sprinting and Yamaguchi bouncing alongside, yipping as he jumped up every now and then to snap at bugs in the air. 

His wolf form was a little bigger, no longer the tiny fluffball that curled up on Suga’s chest. He was large enough now that he reached Nishinoya’s knees, and could probably be mistaken for a husky puppy. His brown fur had grown long and luxurious, often requiring grooming to avoid knotting. Flecks of that same moss colour his hair was, had appeared all over his coat and especially up his paws. It looked like he was wearing stockings on each foot. Suga laughed as he watched the two heading for the forest, all caught up in the excitement. Asahi gave a deep sigh from next to him, weary from the travelling. He’d always had a weak stomach.

“I suppose we’d better find which room is supposed to be the bedroom. We can clean it before sunset.” Suga hummed lightly in thought.

“I was going to clean the kitchen first, so we can start eating proper meals. We can always pull the futons out and stay in there tonight...” 

“SUGA! AZUMANEEE!” Nishinoya’s cry came from across the garden, thick with panic. Suga could only surmise that something had _happened to his son_ , and sped over to the garden door, expecting to have to run to the rescue. Instead, he froze. 

Nishinoya and Yamaguchi were right on the border of the garden, neither of them harmed. But their gazes were fixed in the distance and Yamaguchi’s nose twitched as his ear flickered. There, in the shadows of the forest, was the shadowy outline of a wolf. An actual wolf. It was deep brown, almost black all over, with glowing brown eyes. It was staring at Yamaguchi, their eyes locked with the lighter brown of the young pup. The shadowed figure moved, head tilted up to the sky. It howled, a deep sound that sent excited tremors through Suga’s bones. 

Yamaguchi’s ears pricked up. Then, he mirrored the stance, releasing a howl of his own. It was high-pitched and childish, sounding more human than wolf, but it was a howl all the same. Sugawara felt his knees give out from underneath him. He’d never seen –never _heard_ – Yamaguchi makes that posture and noise before. It was a stark reminder of just how much a wolf he was. He didn’t just change into a wolf. He didn’t just have cute ears and a wagging tail. He was a wolf. He was a quarter of a wild animal, and Sugawara gulped. He could lose his son to the forest, to the wolf that apparently already lived here.

“Papa?” Then he looked up. The wolf from the forest was gone, and in front of him, a five years old boy with dirt smeared over every available surface of his skin, a bright glow to his skin, and a gentle smile reaching all the way to his eyes. From where he was sitting on the floor, Suga reached out shakily and stroked through the thick, brown hair.

“Yeah baby?”

“I’m really happy we came here! Now I have two families and two homes!”

“H-huh?” Yamaguchi tilted his head innocently to the side, pushing his ear into Sugawara’s hand to be scratched.

“Didn’t you hear the wolf? He said that it’s okay to live in two worlds. I said thank you afterwards.” Sugawara sighed with relief. The wolf from the woods wasn’t a bad thing, as his maternal heart had instinctively leapt towards. 

“I didn’t hear him, Yamaguchi, but I’m glad he told you that~.” 


	5. This is why we can't have chickens!

Suga, Noya, and Asahi had worked relentless in the week, patching up holes in the roof, reconnecting the plumbing, setting up solar panels and getting the electricity working... They cleaned, discovering hidden secrets in the house, little areas of beauty that intrigued Yamaguchi with each new discovery. They’d been living here for two weeks, and the house was finally a home. 

Asahi and Noya had their own room, whilst Yamaguchi still shared with his Papa. But he had his own bed! He had a shelf for his collectable things! More than anything, he had the rolling expanse of fields and forest. He hadn’t gone as far as the mountain to the north yet, because he was waiting for Noya-nii to take him as promised. Yamaguchi was up first that morning, as a fog rolled in over the fields. He went to the fridge and picked out some leftovers from tea time yesterday, eating at the table like the good child he was. He took the dirty plate over to the sink to wash up. 

The sink was one of the secret spots, and it was Yamaguchi’s favourite. A mosaic of pastel stones, layered over with a smooth glass-like finish had been hidden beneath a thick layer of grime that Papa had scrubbed off. It had been a wonderful surprise, just as much as the engraved flowers in the only glass window in the house, and the little cubby hole for a wood fire, concealed behind a poorly constructed brick wall that Asahi-nii had accidentally knocked down, proceeded to freak out about, have a panic attack, and then realised he had exposed something useful. Yamaguchi liked Asahi-nii.

“Good morning~.” Suga was up next, and Yamaguchi happily snuggled his face against his shoulder, having been hefted into a warm morning hug. It was becoming a nice thing to have as the months grew colder, and Suga looked forward to letting Yamaguchi out in the snow for the first time in his life this winter.

“Morning, Papa~.” Suga set him down carefully, watching Yamaguchi potter about as he started to polish the wooden columns holding up the ceiling. He smiled gently. Seeing the adults hard at work, Yamaguchi had begged for some way he could help, and Noya had eventually come up with the solution. Simply scrubbing the beams that had already been fixed wouldn’t hurt. But Sugawara worried that it did hurt, not physically, but developmentally. Yamaguchi was just a child. He should be playing with friends, not begging for housework! 

“... Yamaguchi?”

“Yes, Papa?”

“How- how would you like to go to school?” The way Yamaguchi’s entire face lit up answered the question for him, where it was then followed by a multitude of yips as Yamaguchi shifted into his wolf form, animatedly jumping up and down all around the living room, as if the floor were a springy mattress. Suga laughed lightly, watching Yamaguchi chase his own tail in a rapid circle before sitting up proudly with the bushy appendage in his mouth. 

“We’ll go into town today, and sign you up for class at the community centre~.” Yamaguchi yipped happily as he pushed up onto his back paws and shifted as he ran forwards, hugging Suga tightly.

“I love you, Papa!”

“Love you too, baby~. Now, go and put some clothes on. You can’t go into town in pyjamas~!” Yamaguchi brightly giggled and walked off to the bedroom with a skip in his step. He loved going into town, even if the word ’town’ was a bit of a stretch. It was more of a village centre, with a traditional market and a few official buildings either side of a stream, a small bridge connecting the market side to the side with the temple, the community centre, and a few small shops. 

Yamaguchi loves that, whenever they go to town, Papa will buy him some sweeties from the Tanaka sweet shop. Sometimes, Ryuu-nii gives him warm mochi, freshly steamed out back! Saeko-nii treats him to a stick of Dango, the bland stickiness complimented with a sweet honey glaze. Yamaguchi considered them part of his pack too. He didn’t tell them, because Papa said other people might not understand like Asahi-nii and Noya-nii did. He didn’t know why it was dangerous, but Yamaguchi was a good pup, and he would never do anything that could upset Papa.

Yamaguchi chose some denim shorts that reached just below his knee, and a white t-shirt that had TACO written over it. Loyally, he pulled on the tatty green hoodie that he always wore, every time he went outside. He loved it best when Papa had just washed it, and then he’d put it under Papa’s pillow at night. It carried the scent of love, family, and home.   
When Asahi-nii or Noya-nii took him in town, he always tightly hugged the hoodie around him, so it felt like Papa was there too. He ran to the bathroom to brush his teeth, stepping up on his little stool. When Noya came stumbling through in a sleepy daze, Yamaguchi hopped off the stool and passed it to him, so he could reach his shaving items from the top shelf. Asahi was sweet enough to bring them down if he got up first, but Suga was the devil in disguise, returning them to top shelf in the evening, and took great joy in teasing Noya for his height.   
It probably came from the time when Noya had switched the sugar for the salt once, when Suga had been drinking sweet milk tea. He always added three teaspoons of sugar, and with the swapped pots... Noya had _earned_ himself a lifetime of stretching for items on top shelves. Noya rubbed at his eyes and sleepily mumbled through a mouthful of toothpaste.

“S’up, kiddo?” Noya ruffled Yamaguchi’s hair, a little rougher than when his wolf ears were showing. Without them, Yamaguchi had the normal sensations of an everyday kid, but when his ears were out, it was like walking on glass. Asahi had accidentally stepped on his tail once, and Yamaguchi had ignored him for a whole three days, after crying four hour continuously. Suga had had to deal with his son being clingy and upset for that three day period, whilst Noya had tormented his mopey boyfriend, trying to get to him to _‘get out of bed, you big baby, he’s **fine**!’ _

“Papa’s taking me into town later! I’m gonna go to school!”

“Oh hey! That’s pretty cool~! You’ll love school, Yamaguchi!”

“Mhm~!” Yamaguchi rinsed his mouth and skipped through to the main room, where Sugawara was sitting on the deck overlooking the garden, sipping delicately at a steaming pot of Matcha green tea. The bitter liquid was good for waking up, but it smelt _terrible_. Humans enjoyed the fragrance, but Yamaguchi’s sensitive nose picked up little chemical signals that made him want to sneeze. When the Matcha tea was out, Yamaguchi stayed in human form. This morning, however, Yamaguchi caught a faint scent on the breeze. His eyes widened and he darted past Suga to stand in the middle of the garden, sniffing rapidly.

“Yamaguchi...?” The boy shook his head as he sneezed. He could pick up the same scent the wolf from the forest had carried, but it was closer to the home and tinged with distress. Yamaguchi shifted into his wolf form, pressing his nose deep against the faint trail. The forest wolf was looking for a lost pack member. Reading into the chemical signals more, Yamaguchi gasped.

“There’s a whole pack of wolves in the forest! One of the pups went missing last night and they can’t find him! P- Papa, we have to help!” Suga frowned, biting into his lip in concern.

“I wish we could, baby, but you don’t know the scent of the missing pup... And if the pack are wolves like you, then they won’t be living in the forest during the day...” He felt helpless when he saw his son starting to cry, but there was nothing Suga could do except pull him into a hug. The wolf fur was rougher than Yamaguchi’s hair, but it was thicker and warmer.

“If- If the pup got lost near here... Then maybe you’ll pick up a trail in town. Just keep sniffing for another wolf, okay~?” The wolf in his arms slowly shifted back to a boy, fur replaced by clothes.

“Okay. Thank you, Papa~...”Suga finished off his Matcha tea, the corners of his lips quirking up in amusement when he saw Yamaguchi’s nose crinkle. Nishinoya came strolling in from the bathroom, and straight over to the fridge.

“Hey Suga, is it okay if I use the last of the eggs?”

“Sure. We’ll buy some more whilst we’re out.”

“Too bad we don’t have chickens...” The offhand comment was met with a small whimper. Suga gently rubbed a hand across Yamaguchi’s back. After a trip to the forest one time, and an unfortunate encounter with a wild peacock, Yamaguchi had developed something of an aversion to anything bigger than a crow. 

Chickens were a no-go. As were ducks. Sugawara wondered if there was anywhere nearby that they could purchase Quail. Those were small enough, but their eggs were also small and tasted different. He sighed deeply. Maybe living in the countryside was harder than he had thought... But he wouldn’t go back to that tiny apartment in Tokyo for anything! Not when he could look out across a green field, and watch his child yipping happily as he chased butterflies, and dug holes, and gathered flowers. 

In his human form, Yamaguchi collected pretty stones, and made flower crowns for his pack, whilst singing the tunes taught to him by Suga. Yamaguchi liked to help Asahi with the vegetable garden, tending to the growing patch with a gentleness he had inherited from his parent. If he wasn’t worn out by playing, he’d help around the house. Sometimes, Nishinoya would teach Yamaguchi things to do with the wiring, but he liked to joke about being shocked by electricity, the reason his hair stood on end. Yamaguchi always played along, even though he could smell the thick layers of hair gel Noya used. It was worth it to see his pack member so happy.

“Yamaguchi! Come and put your boots on!” With a happy giggle, he jogged over to the doorway where Suga was wearing a light yellow raincoat and his own blue wellington boots. Yamaguchi had ones with trees all over them. He’d seen them in the shop once and had been so excited, his ears had popped out. Suga had quickly shoved the hoodie down to hide them, accidentally hurting his poor child. There had been lots of cuddles afterwards, and even a bowl of ice-cream! As worried as Suga had been, Yamaguchi was sweet enough to forgive quickly. _Except when it came to stepping on his tail!_ That hurt more than his ears. 

Sugawara went round to the side of the house, pulling a sheet of tarp off his bicycle. There was a child seat on the back for Yamaguchi. He tugged the hood up as soon as they came close to the road that led towards town, the faint scent of the forest all around them, dew soaked tar overlapping with the sweetness of morning flowers, and the fresh mountain breeze carrying promise of rain later in the afternoon. Rice fields adorned either side of the path only a mile from their home, and Sugawara took his feet off the pedals, hands off the breaks, and they rolled down the steep hill in laughter. 

The farmers waved as they passed, the closest thing to neighbours that the pack had. Yamaguchi liked the farmers. They’d stopped round every now and then to help Asahi-nii with starting his garden. It was funny to watch Narita and Kinoshita arguing over what the easiest vegetable to grow was, or what to use as bug repellent. Ennoshita always rolled his eyes and let Yamaguchi choose from two or three options. He had his own little chilli plant growing in the very corner of the vegetable path, and Ennoshita always praised him for how it had grown whenever he came round. Yamaguchi liked to consider them part of his pack, but he never told them, because Papa said other people might not understand like Asahi-nii and Noya-nii did. He remembered that one thing above all others. 

“Papa! I can smell the bread!” Even though they were only on the outskirts of the marketplace, Yamaguchi could pick up the scent carried from the bakery on the other side of town. It was run by a wonderful lady, Kiyoko, who rarely smiled on the outside. When she did smile, it was only around children or close friends. The bread she baked was always delicious, but Yamaguchi liked going there to catch a glimpse of her daughter. He didn’t know the girls name, because she was even shyer than him! Yamaguchi thought she was cute, with her blond hair tied up at the side, and a little star clip holding it in place. She had brown eyes, and always wore cute dresses that Yamaguchi liked. He was determined he would speak to her before he turned 6!

“Oh~? Why don’t we go there after the community centre, then?”

“Yes please!” Suga beamed at his son, as he locked up his bike. He knew the real reason Yamaguchi loved going to the bakery, but he would wait for his son to tell him. It was a parent thing, to know that his child was having his very first crush, and Sugawara couldn’t help but think it was _utterly adorable_. He took Yamaguchi’s hand for safety as they walked through the markets, occasionally stopping to pick up fresh herbs, or a box of eggs, or some wrapped meat or fish. Yamaguchi’s nose kept twitching, searching desperately for the scent of a wolf. He was always looking, just in case there was someone like him, but today was especially important. There was a pup lost and a pack searching for that pup. Yamaguchi reckoned that if they were looking in town, he could bump into them. Or maybe the lost pup would be his own age, and he would make a friend. 

There was nothing for the entire journey to the community centre, only the fragrance of pet dogs, which made Yamaguchi’s hair stand on end and his lips curl up into a defensive snarl. Dogs were always aggressive towards him, sensing that he was a wolf and rejecting him. He avoided dogs as much as he could in the market, because whenever they barked or jumped at him, he had to fight down the urge to shift and take his own stance, to growl and snarl back. Having Papa holding his hand helped, because Papa would brush his thumb over the back of his hand reassuringly. It calmed Yamaguchi down when he felt scared, or anxious, or angry.

“Good morning!” A smile grew on Yamaguchi’s face at the chipper greeting. Since they had first moved in two weeks and one day ago, they’d been visited twice by the town mayor, and they’d met him on every trip into town. Takeda was friendly and reliable, always cheerful and kind.

“Good morning, Takeda~.”

“Morning Mayor~!” Takeda laughed and reached around his desk to softly ruffle Yamaguchi’s hair through the hood.

“What can I do for you today?”

“I wanna go to school~! Umm, please?” His enthusiastic cry was met with gentle laughter from his Papa and Takeda. Pushing his glasses up his nose, Takeda started to look through files and drawers, before pulling out an essential looking piece of paper. He passed it over to Yamaguchi with a serious yet tender expression.

“This is very important, Yamaguchi. Once your Papa has filled in all the boxes, you’ll be allowed to go to school.” Yamaguchi yelped with excitement, glad that the oversized green hoodie was large enough to cover his now-wagging tail, and the hood disguising his ears. If Takeda noticed that Yamaguchi’s skin became more tan, or that his eyes took on a caramel glow, he didn’t say anything. Yamaguchi bounced on his feet as he passed the document over to Sugawara.

“Fill the boxes, Papa! Please fill the boxes! I wanna go to school~!” Sugawara laughed as he took the papers, placing a soft hand on Yamaguchi’s head to stop him bouncing.

“Alright, alright~! I’ll do it right now, would you like that?”

“Yes please!” Sugawara led the way over to a small table at the side of the room, pulling a pen from his pocket to fill it in. Yamaguchi sat calmly on his lap, watching the pen move with careful eyes. He could read most of the kanji, but not all. Suga had taught him how to read and write, but he was still only five years old. The pen stopped moving and a small kiss was placed to the back of the hoodie. Yamaguchi turned around to look up at Suga.

“Done?”

“Done~. Shake off your ears and go pass it back to Takeda~.” Yamaguchi jumped from Sugawara’s lap and shook himself off like he did after a bath, resorting back to his human form. He took the papers diligently and walked over to Takeda’s desk, where the Mayor took the papers back with a gentle smile.

“Thank you, Yamaguchi~. I’ll file these, and then you can start next week.”

“Thank you, Mayor Takeda!” Suddenly, Yamaguchi froze. He could smell something on the breeze.   
_Fear/distress/wolf/help/help/wolf/angry/lost/ **wolf**._

“Y-Yamaguchi, come back!” He started running, his sensitive ears picking up commotion in the distance. Sugawara’s feet thudded almost as loud as his heart as he chased after his son, who had just bolted from the community centre looking absolutely terrified. It was hard to keep up with his child, even though Yamaguchi was still in human form, with only his ears and nose morphed. Suga quickly realised, Yamaguchi wasn’t running away from something. He was running _towards_ it. Whatever it was, it was in the direction of the marketplace. He crossed the bridge, watching Yamaguchi skid around a corner. Sugawara could hear the sounds of a gathering, a mob. He breathed heavily as he turned the corner and stilled in horror. 

On the top layer of the fountain, in the middle of the town square, was a black wolf. No, a black _pup_. It was bigger than Yamaguchi was when he shifted, and it looked much more vicious. It growled and snarled, sharp claws swiping out at any pitchfork of broom that came too close. The villagers were crowded around it, shouting for it to be chased off, or to be killed before it could kill their children. _‘My child!’_ Frantically, Sugawara looked around, until he noticed Yamaguchi trying to wriggle between two people, fighting his way through the mob.

“Y-Yamaguchi!” The boy paused, turning to look at Suga and was promptly thrown back by the hustle of the angry townspeople. Sugawara scooped him up, determined to carry him to safety when he realised Yamaguchi was crying.

“Papa, we have to help! We have to help, he’s really scared! He’s a wolf _like me_ , please!” The realism hit Sugawara hard. That black pup was a wolf like his son. That black pup was someone else’s son. If he abandoned that pup to the townspeople, who would kill it, it would be the same as abandoning his own child. Sugawara would never let them do that to his precious pup. He would protect Yamaguchi with his life. Even though he knew nothing of this black pup, he knew he had to protect it. He swallowed a lump in his throat and put Yamaguchi down.

“Stay here. Please, Yamaguchi, please stay here and stay a boy.” Yamaguchi rubbed at his eyes, hiccupping through his sobs as he nodded obediently.

“T-Tobio... His smell said he was Tobio...” Suga gently shushed his child, pressing a swift kiss to his forehead and running a comforting thumb over his freckled cheek. Just as rapidly, he pulled away and walked over to the crowd around the fountain, drawing in a deep breath. He plastered on a fake smile, hoping it was convincing enough for the many people that lived in this town. Above the noise, he shouted loudly, hoping he sounded pleased.

“Tobio! There you are! You broke your collar again, silly pup!” It worked to draw the attention to him. The pup had stilled in confusion, fur still bristling in defence, but no longer snarling or growling. The pitchforks and the brooms unconsciously lowered. As Sugawara’s eyes swept over the crowd, he was pleased to see no one that he had befriended. The fishmonger approached him, still holding the knife he used to prepare his fish filets. Sugawara dreaded to think what he would have done with it, had the pup been captured.

“You know this wolf?” A hand over his chest, Sugawara feigned innocent bewilderment.

“Wolf? Oh goodness, no! If you mean Tobio, he’s my dog!”

“I’ve never seen a dog like that. Not that size, not those colours.”

“He’s an Alsatian-husky mix with a rare genetic disorder that makes him all black. He keeps breaking his collar; honestly, he’s such a pain sometimes. You wouldn’t have seen him before because we only moved in two weeks ago.” The fishmonger grunted, but he seemed to believe the story. Sugawara could only smile refreshingly, in a last bid attempt to convince them.   
Slowly, the crowd started to filter away, taking their weapons with them and Sugawara sighed in relief. The pup was looking directly at him, bright blue eyes that bore into his soul. It leapt from the top of the fountain and landed in front of Sugawara, posed with caution. Suga slowly moved to crouch, holding his hand out in front of him. 

“Your name is Tobio, right...? My son, Yamaguchi, he told me that. He’s a wolf like you. Please, trust me.” The pup nodded after a moment’s pause, pressing the side of his head against the hand Sugawara stretched out. Once more, Suga sighed with relief.

“We live near the forest. Walk alongside me until we reach the outskirts of town, okay? We’ll help you find home.” Very, very slightly, the black tail started to wag, and those vivid blue eyes twinkled. Tobio’s head swung around to look behind Suga, and instantly latched on to Yamaguchi. Sugawara followed the gaze, his son using a stone to trace out shapes on the wall he leaned against. He smiled softly.

“You can smell him, right? A wolf like you.” Sugawara stood and led the pup over to Yamaguchi, pleased that Tobio walked alongside him like told to. This way, he could protect him. When Yamaguchi saw the two walking towards him, he smiled brightly, opening his arms. Beneath the hoodie, his tail wagged like he’d just been caffeinated, and Tobio cautiously approached, pressing his black wolf nose against Yamaguchi’s human one. It was a greeting that came instinctually, as well as Yamaguchi bowing his head to note that he recognised Tobio as the superior wolf, despite being able to tell by scent that he was a month younger.   
Sugawara glanced around as they walked back to where his bike was, holding Yamaguchi’s hand a little tighter than usual. He felt the soft fur brush against his ankle as Tobio moved closer nervously whenever the townspeople came within arm’s reach. As they got to the bicycle rack, Sugawara gave a deep sigh, almost collapsing. 

“Papa?” Worried brown eyes looked at him and he summoned a shaky smile, sliding his hand under the hood material to stroke Yamaguchi’s hair reassuringly.

“I’m okay, baby...” The child moved in, hugging him tightly. The wolf pup watched them from a slight distance, with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

“Papa, thank you...”

“Shh, it’s okay... Let’s just get home.”Sugawara paused before looking over at Tobio with a sweet smile.

“All of us.”


	6. Fireflies and innocent eyes

When Sugawara had let Tobio into their home, and then pointed him to the forest, he hadn’t expected the black pup to return only a week later. Except he didn’t return as a pup. It had been late afternoon when there had been a timid knock at the front door. At that time, Sugawara had been lathering shampoo into Yamaguchi’s thick fur, trying to get out the mud from where he had been rolling around in a muddy puddle earlier. 

“I’ll get it!” Nishinoya had been playing on his PSP in the living room and bolted up, rushing to the front door. He threw the door open, expecting it to be the delivery man with something he had ordered a few days ago. Instead, he found himself looking at a small boy. He blinked blankly at the blue eyes bearing into him, no sound coming from the child. 

“... Who’re you?” The boy shuffled, but he didn’t speak. Nishinoya huffed angrily.

“Are you playing a trick or something, ya punk?! You’re meant to run away after knocking on someone’s door, if that’s what you’re trying to do!” The boy finally opened his mouth to say something, then shut it again, eyes widening as he look over Noya’s shoulder.

“Yuu, don’t be so rude. Ah, who are you?” Asahi tilted his head as he looked at the child, not surprised when he saw the flash of fear in them at his height. With a nervous laugh, he crouched down.

“N-now, now, there’s no reason to be frightened. Are you lost or-!” Before he could finish his sentence, Asahi was bowled over from behind. Nishinoya burst out laughing at him, lying sprawled on the floor after being knocked from his feet.

“ _ **Yamaguchi**_! Get back here, you’re getting water _everywhere_!” Sugawara paused in the hallway to observe the calamity. Asahi was on his side on the floor, groaning in pain, Nishinoya was leaning heavily against the wall laughing so hard he cried, and his wet son had bolted out the front door and was attacking someone with a soapy hug, no longer a wolf but instead a naked child covered in bubbles. Sugawara was about to shout at him when he noticed how _happy_ Yamaguchi was.

“Papa! Papa, it’s Tobio! I smelt him! It’s Tobio~!” The black haired boy looked a little uncomfortable in the hug, but he didn’t push Yamaguchi away. Obviously, he was used to being squished and hugged without permission. Probably not by a naked stranger who should still be in the bathtub though... The boy held out a small jar with a few fireflies inside, a thank you gift that Yamaguchi took with eyes of awe as Sugawara wrapped a towel around him.

“Oh, these will look lovely when we set them free~... Thank you, Tobio.”

“U-Umm... Actually, Tobio is my wolf form... M-my name is Kageyama.” 

“Ah, my apologies~...” Sugawara smiled warmly at him, trying to ease the shyness that the boy was trying to hide under a stoic bravado act. Kageyama opened his mouth a few times, before he drew in a breath and prepared himself to speak.

“My pack i-is really happy that you helped me home. They want- They want to meet you, even though you’re human. If that’s okay...?” Sugawara stopped to think. He, a human with basically no defences, going to meet with a pack of wolves that he didn’t know how many there were, or what they were like? It sounded like suicide.  
But... He glimpsed over at Yamaguchi, staring intently at the fireflies and smiled. He’d never seen his son so elated to meet someone. Tobio – No, Kageyama – was sweet enough, so the wolves that had raised him certainly couldn’t be that bad. Plus, if Yamaguchi was willing to run naked from a bathtub to meet one wolf, just how excited would he be if he met more? Kageyama followed the soft gaze and cleared his throat.

“He’s invited too. Because he’s a wolf like us. So, umm, he needs a pack... Wolves don’t like being without a pack. I’m sorry if this is rude, but a pack of humans isn’t enough.” Kageyama was surprised to see the sad yet understanding smile on Sugawara’s face, the pain reaching his eyes as he looked over at his son, shaking the jar of fireflies and displaying them to Noya and Asahi.

“It’s... Okay, Tob- Kageyama. There’s so much I can’t give him, things that he needs, and I- I’m so glad that there are other wolves for him to learn from... He doesn’t have any friends either.” Kageyama stood a little straighter, understanding the implications.

“I- I’ll try to be a good friend! Umm, but, I’m not as good at making friends as Hinata...” Yamaguchi was suddenly right by their sides, the towel lying abandoned on the ground and the jar in Asahi’s hands as the mossy brown pup circled around Sugawara’s ankles, surprisingly catlike in how he pressed his head into Suga’s hand, demanding to be scratched behind the ear. Suga complied with a laugh, using both hands to tussle through Yamaguchi’s fur and scratch the spots that made his tail wag ferociously and his back leg thump against the ground in delight. Kageyama watched on with a look of awe and confusion.

“Hey kid, ain’t you ever seen a wolf getting an ear scratch? You’re supposed to be the actual wolf!” Jumping at the presence that appeared next to him, Kageyama decided this small person, with wild hair and a loud voice, was even more of a hurricane than his friend back in the pack. He shook his head blandly, the tips of his black fringe swaying over his blue eyes like a curtain of silk. The strange being made a noise in the back of his throat, and suddenly, his hands were ruffling through Kageyama’s hair with a bright grin.

“Wh- What are you doing?!”

“Noya, leave the poor boy alone!”

“ _Yuu_!” Spiky hair jumped away with a laugh as the silver-haired man slapped his hand, and the tall not-so-scary one scolded from a distance, cradling Yamaguchi’s fireflies with care and caution. The boy – wolf- himself, strolled up to Kageyama with what could only be described as a smirk. It was the same smug that constantly placed itself on another one of Kageyama’s pack mates, a blond pup that barely spoke to anyone. That didn’t bother him too much, Tsukishima was rude anyways.   
Still, he was a little apprehensive about what this new pup was going to do with the same expression. Yamaguchi moved into a playful pounce position, tail wagging as he butt wriggled and then he launched with a happy yip. Kageyama automatically reverted to his wolf form - Tobio- and rolled with the brown pup as he was tackled. He quickly realised that this wasn’t the same play fighting tackle that Hinata always used on him, and that Yamaguchi had a _plan_. He stilled for a moment, his four paws spread evenly, ready to run or fight if Yamaguchi suddenly did turn it into playing.   
Then, he felt a snout pressing into the area just behind his ear and nuzzling and everything felt so great, relaxing and exciting at the same time, like a happy glow that spread through his body and one of his back legs lifted off the ground and twitched, starting to tap into the dust just as Yamaguchi’s had, but slower and smaller. With a bark of laughter, Yamaguchi backed away and wagged his tail with a toothy grin whilst Tobio blinked and stared at him.

“What- What was that?”

“Papa always scratches behind my ears! It’s really nice! Doesn’t your Papa ever scratch you too?” Yamaguchi felt really sad when Tobio slowly shook his head. A cold breeze ruffled Yamaguchi’s fur and he shivered, thinking how much warmed he would be in layers of clothes. Tobio seemed to have the same idea, jumping from the ground to shift and land back on two human feet. When Yamaguchi shook himself vividly and turned back into his human form, he gave a soft cry as the cold air nipped at his bare skin, now dry from exposure.

He shivered on the spot before he was swiftly encased in warm arms, Sugawara having pulled him into a tight hug and pressed a raspberry to his freckled cheek. He giggled, lifting his arms up as Asahi brought over a blue shirt and the tatty green hoodie. He let himself be dressed, Suga tugging down the back of the hoodie to cover Yamaguchi’s freezing legs, all the way to the back of his knees. It was hard to believe that this had once fitted him like a dress. 

“Thank you Asahi-nii, thank you Papa!” He clung to Suga happily, his little arm wrapping around his parents neck to embrace him back, snuggling his head into Suga’s shoulder and breathing in the sweet honey and bitter green tea scent. Soft lips pressed to his forehead as he yawned. Swaying gently, Sugawara rocked his son to sleep as he watched Noya interrogate their visitor with enthusiasm, Asahi trying to get him to calm down. Kageyama answered all the questions point-blank, with the same tense expression as when he had first arrived. Rolling his eyes as Noya gave a strange noise of exhilaration, Sugawara decided to intervene.

“Noya, could you take Yamaguchi somewhere to rest, please?” 

“Sure thing~!” Noya bounced over, but as soon as the sleeping child was transferred to his arms, he melted into a calm smile, holding Yamaguchi carefully and tenderly, rocking him from side to side as he walked back inside the house. For all the noise Noya created, he was surprisingly quiet around Yamaguchi when he was sleeping.   
Suga put his hands on his hips and huffed lightly in amusement, watching as it was Asahi’s turn to be questioned by the child in front of him. All the big lug could do was rub the back of his head nervously and stutter a yes or a no. He was timid to a fault, and Sugawara casually approached to tap the back of his head, knocking the bun enough to make it unravel very slightly. Asahi gave a frightened squawk and looked up with a pout. 

“Suga... How many times have I asked you not to do that...?”

“About as many times as I’ve told you to stop being so nervous~.” Asahi laughed quietly, pushing off the ground to stand.

“I get it already~. Would you like me to put some water on to boil?”

“That sounds wonderful!” With a reassuring smile, Suga turned to their little guest, still staring at the two in cloaked amusement.

“Do you like hot chocolate?” Kageyama nodded, taking the gentle hand that was offered down to him. He knew that going into strangers homes was unacceptable, but he wasn’t a stranger anymore. He was the parent of a wolf, a pack member by association, and Kageyama could scent that he was trustworthy, just as were the other members of the household.


	7. TACO, Tsukithema?

Yamaguchi looked through his small pile of clothes, picking up a yellow shirt before frowning and swapping it with his TACO shirt, before switching them back. From the doorway of the bedroom, three amused faces poked around to watch him. He stared at the yellow shirt a little longer before sighing, folding it up, and reaching for a purple top with a dinosaur on the front. Between that and the TACO shirt, he was having trouble deciding, and the process of elimination was taking longer than he liked. He’d already decided on a pair of denim jeans, because Noya-nii had brought them for him, specifically for this occasion. He heard giggles from behind him and whipped his head round, but the three that had been poking around the doorway had pulled back before being seen.

“I can smell you, you know! Asahi-nii has been gardening, Noya-nii has curry down his shirt, and Papa is holding a glass of lemonade!” The giggles burst into laughter and Sugawara appeared in the doorway to offer the lemonade, whilst Noya jogged off to change his shirt, and Asahi went to the bathroom.

“We’re sorry, Yamaguchi~. You’re just so cute when you concentrate~.” The five year old puffed out his cheeks in annoyance.

“No fair, Papa! I want to make a good impresh- imprev-... I want to look good!” 

“I’m sure they’ll love you, my little pup~.” Suga leant over and picked the TACO shirt off the floor, inspecting it before passing it to Yamaguchi with a refreshing smile.

“They’ll definitely love you. Just be yourself, and be kind.”

“Yes, Papa.” Yamaguchi pulled the shirt on over his head, running his hands through his hair to try and make it lie flat. There was still one strange strand that stuck up into the air and pouted. Suga laughed gently as he watched. That was definitely an inherited trait. He’d always wondered that when he was younger, but he’d never imagined that he’d the one that _birthed_ his child...   
He still wouldn’t change that for the world. Despite the pain, the confusion, and the fear, Suga would always choose to do the same thing again. His eyes softened. It was worth it all, just to sit here and watch his beautiful son smile. His heart felt like he was swelling, and he pulled the five year old into a tight hug.

“Papa?”

“Shh~. I love you, Yamaguchi. I love you so much.” Yamaguchi squirmed around to face Suga, placing a sloppy, childish kiss on each cheek.

“I love you too Papa! Lot’s and lot and lots~.” The warm cuddle was all the reassurance Suga needed that he wasn’t losing his son to other wolves. Yamaguchi wriggled away from his grip, determined to get going. The pack were meeting in the forest across the field when the moon reached the tip of the mountain. There wasn’t long to go, and despite the fact he had napped earlier, Yamaguchi was still feeling tired. He was sure that by the time he got there, he would be full of energy, but for now, he would have to delay hugging Papa or he would fall asleep. 

Kageyama had made multiple trips in the few days leading up to this, occasionally appearing as Tobio. Rather than playing, as Yamaguchi had hoped, Tobio taught him things that every pup should know. He was taught to follow a trail rather than pick up random scents, he was taught to stalk through long grass and camouflage himself, and he was taught how to turn corners by deflecting off an object instead of losing speed to turn it. He was extremely grateful for the teaching, but it didn’t do anything to ease the loneliness of his inner wolf. He had his human pack, and Tobio considered him a pack member in return, but Yamaguchi craved play. A true bond between pups of his own age. 

“Papa?”

“Yes, baby?”

“When we meet them, do you think they’ll be wolves or humans?” Suga thought for a moment, although he was sure there was only one obvious answer.

“I think, they’ll be wolves. To make you feel more welcome~.” He was met with a sad, lost look, and before he could ask what the issue was, Yamaguchi answered for him.

“Kageyama says that everyone has a wolf name... I- I’m only me... I need a wolf name or I won’t fit in!”

“O-Oh, I see... In that case...” Yamaguchi sat eagerly, looking up at Suga with hope, trust, and _loyalty_. With a smile, Sugawara reached out to scratch behind his ear.

“Tadashi. We’ll name your wolf, Tadashi~.” His only warning before he was knocked to the floor by an overexcited pup was the loud, happy yip and wagging tail. He laughed, wrapping his arms around his child lovingly. 

“Sugaaaaaa! There are lights in the forest! It’s time to GOOOOOOO~!” Yamaguchi scrambled away, claws clacking against the wooden floors as he ran to where Nishinoya and Asahi were waiting by the back door, ready to leave. They’d been invited too, as part of Yamaguchi’s pack. Asahi extended his arms and Yamaguchi shook off his wolf form, reaching up to be carried.   
He felt safe in Asahi’s arms, like he was protected by a bodyguard! He giggled lightly as he realised that Asahi-nii would be the first to run from even a _spider._ Yamaguchi knew that he was still well-protected though. Especially with Noya-nii there! There was no doubt that Noya would happily fight a pride of lions to keep Yamaguchi safe. Even though they weren’t blood related, Yamaguchi thought they were the best big brothers in the world. 

Whilst Asahi carried the five year old, Noya carried a wrapped box. It contained yakitori skewers that Suga had made only half an hour earlier. Whilst Kageyama had told them that it wasn’t necessary to bring a gift, the silver haired parent had been determined to give a good impression. The box held 30 skewers, which he hoped was enough for the wolf pack... He had no idea how many there were. When he’d asked Kageyama, the answer had followed the lines of; _“I’m five. I can only count to 12.”_ Sadly, this had not given Suga any indication as to how many there were. He came hopping around the corner as he tried to put one shoe on whilst walking.

“Okay! I think we’re ready to go! Let’s go meet the wolves of the forest~.” As they’d walked across the field, they realised they could hear music, as well as human laughter instead of the short yips a wolf used. There was the smell of barbeques, and the lights they had seen turned out to be colourful pastel lanterns, strung up around the trees to provide a pathway. Sat up high on Asahi’s shoulders, Yamaguchi didn’t hesitate to reach out with awe and tap each one. They swung lightly and he giggled as would any child. 

“Y-Yamaguchi!” A small voice came from a tree, and then Kageyama slipped from it. He held a takoyaki stick, and passed it over to Yamaguchi once he had come down from Asahi’s shoulders.

“You’re Kageyama~!” The black haired boy tilted his head in confusion.

“Yes? You know my name.”

“No, no! I mean! You’re not Tobio!”

“Oh... W-Well, that’s cus it’s a party for your pack... And since they can’t be wolves...” Asahi sighed with relief that he wouldn’t suddenly be surrounded by the beasts, with their sharp teeth and sharper claws. Even if he knew they were just like Yamaguchi, he’d still be nervous coming face to face with an adult wolf. Suga smiled gently, whilst Nishinoya had begun climbing the tree that Kageyama had been in, a good spot to see into the clearing just ahead where the party was in full swing. 

“Thank you very much, Kageyama~. I look forwards to meeting your family~.” The boy nodded with a shy hum, grabbing Yamaguchi by the wrist and leading him down the path to the party. The smell of all these wolves was almost overwhelming to him! He’d only ever met one wolf, Tobio, and that had been in amongst fragrances he was familiar. The scent of all these wolves, along with the forest, was making his head swim. Kageyama dragged him over to a small gathering at the edge of the clearing, three adults talking quietly away from the rest of the group. Yamaguchi shrunk behind his slightly taller friend, as all eyes turned to him.

“U-Umm...” One of them, with dark brown hair and lighter brown eyes, crouched down with a kind smile. As Yamaguchi looked at him, he gasped.

“You’re the wolf from the first day!” The man laughed kindly, not as frightening as Yamaguchi first pegged him for.

“Yes, indeed~. My name is Daichi, the pack leader in these forests. What’s yours?”

“I- I’m Yamaguchi! I live with my Papa, and Nii-sans, but they’re not really my Nii-sans.”

“Are they your pack~?” He nodded shyly, watching as Daichi lifted his head, and then his jaw dropped. Because Daichi had just caught sight of one of the most beautiful beings he had ever seen. The scent, or rather, lack of scent, betrayed that this individual was neither a wolf, nor in the company of a mate. He did, however, small very strongly of Yamaguchi. Daichi could hear his companions snickering behind him, but only flicked his eyes to Yamaguchi and then back to the stranger, trying to summon words.

“Is, uh, is that one of your brothers?” Following the pack leader’s gaze, Yamaguchi giggled.

“That’s my Papa! He’s the best Papa ever~!” Daichi face visibly fell with an ‘oh’, figuring that Yamaguchi’s other parent, who must have been the wolf, had either passed away or just lived far away.

“Papa!” The silver haired _Adonis_ , with moonlit skin, a beauty mark below his eye, and a smile worth slaving over, turned towards Yamaguchi’s voice and approached with the same grace and elegance though to belong to lake spirits. So stunned by this human, Daichi didn’t realise he was still crouched until this rose offered him a kind hand.

“Hi, I’m Sugawara, but you can call me Suga~. It’s so wonderful for you to throw a welcome party for my son!” Daichi forgot words existed as he stared up at this individual – _Suga_ \- until he received a soft kick to his backside from one of his companions. He bolted up and offered his own hand, shaking it enthusiastically.

“D-Daichi! That’s- That’s my name! Uh, w-welcome!” _May the gods be smiling down on him today_ , Daichi thought, as Suga covered his mouth with his hand and giggled. It was the cutest noise he had ever heard, and the tips of his ears burned with embarrassment.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Daichi~. I see you’ve already met Yamaguchi.” He nodded and looked down to the boy at his feet-... The boy no longer at his feet, but dragged off by Kageyama to meet the other pups in the pack. The shorter of the men behind him laughed, tilting his cup in the direction they had gone.

"I’m sorry my son kidnapped yours.” Suga gave his own small laugh in response, pulling his hand away from Daichi’s strong, nervous grip to offer to the other two, who each shook it with the same confident force.

“Sugawara, but please, call me Suga~.”

“Iwaizumi. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Ya-hooo~. I’m Oikawa~.” There was an air of closeness about them, and Daichi sighed as Oikawa possessively moved in, wrapping an arm around Iwaizumi’s waist.

“Please forgive these two. They forget that the entirety of Japan doesn’t share their ideals!” Sugawara tilted his head in confusion, thinking with an adorable look of confusion before he perked up.

“Oh! You’re together? That’s fine; I don’t have any issues with it at all~. That would mean having issues with my housemates and myself!” He laughed, the twinkling of stars and the bells of angels carried on his light voice. Daichi felt his heart leap into his throat, and his stomach clench in delight, whilst his face burned and he fought off a blush. This wonderful man was not only beautiful, he was _potentially available_.   
He was about to ask where Yamaguchi’s other parent was, when the moment was cut short. From the games area where the children were playing, a volleyball hurtled towards Daichi’s face and he wasn’t on guard. The conversation was cut short as a small ginger boy came racing over, bouncing around Daichi with a face like he was about to cry.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking when I hit it, and I’m so sorry Pack Leader!” Sighing, Daichi handed the ball back to the pup, his other hand ruffling the cloud of ginger hair.

“It’s okay, Hinata. Just be more careful next time, alright~?” Hinata held the ball with both hands, still rapidly apologising as he walked away. At the midpoint between the adults and the game, he spun on his foot and ran back to the impromptu volleyball court. On one side, there was him, Kageyama, Inuoka, and Lev. On the opposing team, Kindaichi, Kunimi, Tsukishima, and the new kid, who he could only remember as _‘Guchi’_. Hinata rolled the ball under the tiny net for Kindaichi to serve, seeing as Hinata had technically spiked it so off of court that it could have been a home run. 

Hinata loved to play. He played so much that he often forgot to do his homework, something the older wolves in the pack found highly amusing. Most of them left Hinata to do as he wished, witnessing the skill that the pup picked up through these playing sessions. He was good at being a decoy in volleyball. He was good at tracking, and good at hunting. He was adept at running through the mountains at breakneck speeds, easily jumping up the ravines and valleys with greater effortlessness than the adults that had taken the route many times before. When he looked at this new wolf, he didn’t see anything... Good. He could see how painstakingly average the newcomer was. He was big in heart, and big in size, but he didn’t appear to have any talents whatsoever.

Halfway through the second set, Tsukishima announced that he was bored before silently walking off. It ruined their game, not that Tsukishima cared. He had been getting fed up of putting effort into the game only to have Kageyama and Hinata constantly using that freaky quick of theirs, racking up points higher than the group of five year olds could count. The blond had thought that he was finally going to get some peace and quiet, to be alone. With his back to a tree, he mindlessly started to trace patterns in the ground with a stick.

“Those are pretty.” The stick snapped in two with how tightly he gripped it, and he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth in annoyance, turning to glare at the intruder. His nose crinkled with how plain, and dull, and _human_ it smelt. This wolf wasn’t worth his time. But still, the freckled boy shuffled to sit next to him. Tsukishima was mildly surprised he hadn’t sensed the pup – Yamaguchi – earlier. Maybe it was just because he reeked of domesticity. 

“Sorry I made you break your stick! You’re, umm... Tsukki, right?”

“It’s Tsukishima.” Yamaguchi’s face scrunched up as he tried to pronounce it, but the ‘shi’ sound whistled through his teeth with such an annoyance, that Tsukishima almost growled.

“Yamaguchi. Shut up.” 

“Sorry, Tsukki~!” He didn’t understand why the boy was smiling. Why he was still here. Any other creature would have moved away and left Tsukishima alone as he wished. Yamaguchi sat by him, watching him draw with his half-stick. Even ignoring him wasn’t getting rid of him. Tsukishima scowled.

“Don’t you have better things to be doing?”

“It’s... A little too noisy.” Yamaguchi’s wolf ears appeared as he shook his head, and he whined as he pressed his hands over them.

“Apart from Noya-nii, it’s quiet back home... And there’s less smells! It really hurts to be around lots of people...” Something stirred within Tsukishima. Compassion? Sympathy? _‘No, Empathy’_. The tall child himself had rather sensitive hearing, which was one of the main reasons he quite often withdrew into himself and pushed others away. He sighed.

“Let me go and talk to someone. I’ll show you somewhere quiet.” Tsukishima couldn’t help but feel like smiling back when Yamaguchi beamed up at him, with a bright, toothy smile.

“Thanks, Tsukki~!”


	8. Quiver and shake, hearts will break.

Yamaguchi had been accepted into the pack extremely quickly. His easy-going nature, his kind smiles, and the way he had made a friend in Tsukishima guaranteed that. Things never stayed the same though. Everything had been looking up for so long, that Sugawara forgot that what goes up, must come down. Yamaguchi was 10. He’d been in school for five years, and Suga thought nothing of how quickly he adapted into it. He had first started out with the other cubs in the pack.

But after three months, Tsukishima had dropped out. He’d hated school, he found it too easy, too boring. He stated that it stenched of humans and he going to be a wolf anyways, why bother learning human things?  
When they had moved into third year, Kageyama had left. It hadn’t been voluntary, but rather a move on Iwaizumi’s part, to protect the young pup. School had drastically changed him from his shy, innocent self, into someone who used his status to force others into submission. He was grounded into the pack to be taught the error of his ways.  
At 9 years, Hinata had finally had enough. He’d quit because schoolwork was too hard, and it wasn’t as fun as racing through the mountains and running through the forest!  
The other pups his age had also filtered out, their own reasons for returning to the forest. Sugawara had already told Yamaguchi it would be okay if he wanted to do the same, but his child was adamant that he wanted to be in school. Luckily, even though the other pups had left, Yamaguchi found company in the baker’s daughter.

“Papa, could I take some money to school tomorrow? It’s Yachi’s birthday, so I want to buy her a gift on the way.” Suga looked up from the paper he was reading, smiled at his son, and nodded.

“Of course~. You two are so sweet together!”

“P-Papa! We’re not _together_! She’s just a f-friend...” Yamaguchi yelped in surprise, his ears popping out as someone jumped at his back.

“You hesitated! You like her~!” Freckles stood out against a rosy blush, Yamaguchi pouting as he hooked his arms under the legs off the person on his back.

“S-So what if I do, Noya-nii? Doesn’t mean we’re together.” Asahi hummed from where he sat across the room in front of an electric fan.

“Ah? I was sure you liked Tsukishima?” Yamaguchi groaned, rolling his eyes.

“Can I not get through one day without being heckled for that? We kissed once. _Once_. It hasn’t happened since, it was experimental, and it’ll never happen again.”

“Speaking of Tsukishima, you might want to look across the garden~.” With a confused hum, Yamaguchi moved over to Suga’s side and peered out. Tsukishima, or rather, Kei, was sitting at the edge of their garden. His golden eyes were narrowed into slits, and Yamaguchi swallowed down a bad feeling.

“Y-Yeah. I’ll go talk to him.” He slung his school bag down against the table, and jogged across the garden with a bright smile and a fond wave.

“Hey Tsukki~!” The wolf rolled its eyes, lips curling up into a snarl.

“Don’t call me that.”

“Oops, sorry~. I meant Kei.” 

“... Well, aren’t you going to change?” Yamaguchi looked down at his school uniform with a confused frown.

“What for...? I’m comfy in this.”

“Yamaguchi, shut up.” There was an edge to Kei’s voice, a demanding tone. When Kei told him to shut up in that tone, Yamaguchi knew he was demanding that he change into Tadashi, his wolf form. Recently, whilst he had barely seen Kei in his human form, Yamaguchi had been using Tadashi less and less. 

“I- I can’t, Tsu- Kei. I have homework.”

“We’re going hunting.”

“Didn’t you hear me? I said I had homewo-.”

“Hunting. _Now_.” Yamaguchi furrowed his brow in mild irritation. He wanted to ask why, but he knew exactly why. Tsukishima – Kei – was trying to force him to be a wolf. Exhaling softly through his nose, Yamaguchi hoped that his tone sounded flat and patient.

“No.”

“Why not? You’re a wolf, start acting like one!”

“Have you ever considered that maybe I’m _not_? I- I like being human, Kei! It’s who I am.” 

“You are a wolf!”

“I’m a human!” The blond wolf growled, bearing all teeth with his hackles raised in threat. Yamaguchi flinched away as if he had been struck. And even at 10 years old, he knew that if he didn’t move soon, he would actually be struck. So he did what any child would, when put in danger.

“PAPA!” He pushed himself up from the grass, sprinting back towards the house. At the panicked cry, Sugawara instantly threw his newspaper aside and dashed over to the door. His eyes widened and his heart plummeted as he saw his child, _his ten year old child_ , running towards him with arms outstretched, panic and fear in his eyes, his face awash with pure terror. He had good reason. Kei had pounced, the angry wolf looking like he was going for the kill. Sugawara didn’t have time to react before Yamaguchi was pushed to the ground from behind, claws digging into his back and the snarling jaws of a wolf snapping right next to his ear. He tried to wriggle free, but the claws in his back held him in place. There was only one thing Yamaguchi could do. 

Fight back.

He morphed into his wolf form, turning around on Kei. It was hard to see through the blurry vision provided by saltwater in his eyes, and he wasn’t comfortable, but there was nothing else he could think of but to defend himself. Kei lunged in again, aiming for Tadashi’s lanky front legs. Tadashi scrambled backwards, until his rump hit the wall of the house.  
He was well aware of Suga trying to get over to them, only held back by Asahi, who was fighting to keep grip on Noya too. He risked tearing his concentration away from Kei to shout at them.

“Go back inside!!! Seal the door!” He saw Asahi nod in acknowledgment, before a sharp pain struck the side of his head, claws ripping through the soft skin and tearing a nick in one of his ears. The hit left him reeling and he whimpered, before darting to the side to shake off the dizziness and whirl back on Kei. He narrowly dodged the snap to his side, Kei’s teeth snatching fur from his shoulder. As much as he regretted it, Tadashi aimed to bite back. His half-hearted attempt proved to be his undoing. 

Kei lunged forwards at the same time. Being bigger, heavier, and _meaning it_ , he slammed Tadashi backwards. The brown pup was stunned as he lay on his back, but before he could get up, there were sharp teeth digging into front, narrowly missing his neck as he squirmed, instead sinking into his shoulder and tearing through flesh, whilst claws shredded at his exposed belly, the softest part of his body easily giving way to the slashing motion. 

Tadashi whimpered and begged for help with high-pitched whines, cries escaping him that no pup should ever have to make. They were usually the last sounds a wolf would make before death, from something so painful, it was unbearable. The warm blood stuck to his fur, dyeing him a copper colour instead of his usual brown, but whilst the blood was warm, Tadashi felt so, so cold. 

“TADASHI!” He heard the ferocious growl of a full-grown wolf, before the blur of blond was knocked off of him. Brown eyes, and darker brown fur morphed into a familiar face, but all Tadashi could do was gasp for air as he somehow found the strength to change back into Yamaguchi. 

“Y-Yamaguchi, just keep breathing... It’s okay, you’ll be okay...” He felt a warm hand around one of his own, pressure on his stomach as something was pressed hard against it. _To stop the bleeding_... Yamaguchi vaguely picked up on Sugawara screaming in the background, and the blur of blond disappearing across the field, paws and jaw stained with blood. It was the last thing he saw before he succumbed to the cold and dark.


	9. Trauma

A steady beep... A sharp bolt of pain... His Papa crying...   
These were the things Yamaguchi blinked awake to, unsure of what had happened after he remembered Kei lunging at him. His eyelids slowly peeled open to harsh, bright light, and for a moment, he recalled when one his classmates said that you saw a bright light when you die. He panicked, giving a gurgled cry of horror and trying to move, but it was heavy, and painful. All he did was jolt and strain his already injured body.

“Y-Yamaguchi!” A soft weight moved across him, pinning him down as he whimpered and struggled, until he realised the hair in his face was silver, and the smell surrounding him was sweet honey and bitter tea, and the person was crying into his shoulder. He was in his Papa’s arms. He was alive. He was safe. Knowing that, Yamaguchi allowed himself to softly break, crumbling emotionally as tears escaped him. Each one carried the weight of betrayal, the pain he felt both in body and heart. Sugawara wasn’t in any better state, but he gently hushed Yamaguchi, wiping away those tears and pressing sweet kisses to his forehead.

“Shh, Shhh... It’s okay, baby, it’s okay... You’re safe now...” 

“P-Papa...!” It took a long time for them both to calm, Noya moving in to hold Yamaguchi’s free hand, and Asahi soothingly rubbing Suga’s back. In this time, Yamaguchi had time to think over what had happened, and started to shake.

“Papa?”

“Y-Yeah, baby?”

“I-... I don’t wanna be a wolf anymore... I want- I want to be normal...! I wish we’d never come here!” Suga bit into his bottom lip, trying to fight back his own tears again. This never would have happened if he hadn’t made the move. If he’d never proposed the idea of choosing between wolf and human, then none of this would have happened. His son wouldn’t be lying here, wrapped in bandages, stitches that would leave scars, reminders of this incident for the rest of his life.

“We-... We’ll move somewhere else... Nowhere near a forest... Not near mountains... J-just the four of us, nobody else...” 10 years old, and Yamaguchi already knew that this was what he wanted. Asahi and Noya said nothing, but they knew in their hearts that they would follow Suga and Yamaguchi to the ends of the earth. They were a pack. A pack of humans, but still a pack.

Their house went up for sale before Yamaguchi was even out of hospital. In the time between his release from the hospital and moving out, he isolated himself in his room, jumping at every sound and waking from nightmares with a scream. Each time, Sugawara would hold him tightly, gently rocking him as he had when Yamaguchi was a baby, a toddler, a small child. The trauma reduced him to that. 

At one point, Daichi had come by to say his farewells, but the scent of another wolf, even the one who had saved him, sent Yamaguchi into a desperate panic. Asahi had covered up the resulting bruise from panicked spasms with long sleeves until it faded. Eventually, with how beautiful the house was, it sold for good money. The human pack profited, purchasing a property in Tokyo, right in the city centre. Just as Suga had said, it was just the four of them. Time healed wounds, and at 14, Yamaguchi went back into education. He never changed into ‘Tadashi’ ever again, not even popping his ears or tail in excitement. He learnt to smile again, to trust. Each day when he came home, he was greeted with a hug from his parent.  
When Suga looked at Yamaguchi, he no longer saw the wolf he thought his child was, all those years ago.


End file.
